Dragon Quest VIII

[yester]

I am patiently playing Dragon Quest for now over 37h and i have to tell, that it really hooked me.
The only thing what borders me, is the map. Somehow you never able to scroll the map down.
Pretty sure, some people already done with that game, but i only have few hours a day to play.
I just wished i had the chance to play the early titles to, but i guess that will never happen.
Does anybody have a tip, where you could level up your party? I know that you get a lot of experience points by defeating metal slims. But so far, i only found them randomly.
:D

[BIG5]

I'm guessing you already have the boat? The best place for metal slimes is the woods West of the Royal Hunting Grounds. You'll often encounter 8 at a time. A lot of people complain about not being able to scroll the zoomed-in map, but I feel like it would ruin the exploration aspect is you could.

[yester]

I'm guessing you already have the boat? The best place for metal slimes is the woods West of the Royal Hunting Grounds. You'll often encounter 8 at a time. A lot of people complain about not being able to scroll the zoomed-in map, but I feel like it would ruin the exploration aspect is you could.

Yes, i am on the road (sea) with the ship. Thanks for the tip. I will visit the place to level up a little more. My hero has now level 28, which i think is not enough for facing my next boss (in the dark ruins). 4-5 bone riders are nearly wipe out my party, so i have to level up more.
That fact that you could npt scroll the map borderd me really. But on the other hand, yes, you explore more. Walking around the country to find secret chests etc.
Other things i havend played to much with, is the pod and the arena. Altough i collect some new g ladiators for my team, i did not border to go back to the arena so far.

[BIG5]

At lv. 30, Angelo learns a spell which makes the Dark Ruins much easier. You should check out the Arena. You get some great rewards for winning the top ranks.

[yester]

At lv. 30, Angelo learns a spell which makes the Dark Ruins much easier. You should check out the Arena. You get some great rewards for winning the top ranks.

:) angelo need still two more levels. well, i keep on fighting.
;)

[Moxio]

If you're daring you could go to the Uncharted Southwest Island. There's Liquid Metal Slimes, which give ~9-10x more EXP than regular metal slimes. However, they're somewhat rare, and the Mimics there might be a bit tough for your current status.

[Blind the Thief]

wow, this is almost exactly where I am. I'm level 27, the Dark Ruins didn't seem so bad, but the boss wiped me out pretty fast...back to the drawing board, I guess.

[Moxio]

I'm just about where you are.

In fact I'm about to fight Dhoulmagus so I'm powerleveling. I'm ~level 32. I've just been going on money hunts and I've got like ~35000 right now. I'm thinking of buying some stuff from the bazaar so I can do some alchemy and beef up my weapons/equipment before I fight the bosses.

[yester]

If you're daring you could go to the Uncharted Southwest Island. There's Liquid Metal Slimes, which give ~9-10x more EXP than regular metal slimes. However, they're somewhat rare, and the Mimics there might be a bit tough for your current status.

i will check out the island next time.
So far, my boss fight went in a defeat on me. I just made the mistake, that i did not have a potion in reserve for getting some MP back.
Well, but i think i could defeat him the second time.
I just have the feeling, that this rpg takes me longer than ffx (which was about 60h).:bouncy:

[Vegan]

That boss fight is one of the hardest in the game, just keep at it, you'll get it eventually.

Yes, you'll most likely put in about 80 hours to finish the main game, and well over 100 if you attempt the bonus Trials.

[yester]

That boss fight is one of the hardest in the game, just keep at it, you'll get it eventually.

Yes, you'll most likely put in about 80 hours to finish the main game, and well over 100 if you attempt the bonus Trials.

Just defeat the Jester. But, but.... i lost in the final round my hero and Jessica. both died. But at least, i was gave him a beating. :)
Altough it was close, that i lost maybe my whole party.
80 hours? na, i am lucky that this game really hooked me and makes me coming back all time. Otherwise. 80 hours?;)

[Vegan]

80 hours, give or take 10 on either side, seems to be the average.

[yester]

80 hours, give or take 10 on either side, seems to be the average.

Are you serious?
I have an unfinished "Till the end of time" in my box. And FF-X2 (shame that i did not finish it).
Once i finished DQ8 i want to dig in these once. I hope they are maybe a little shorter.

[Vegan]

I've been working on the Trials and I'm somewhere around 120 hours.

[Moxio]

Wow I totally just went against the "boss" in the Dark Ruins.

Wow.


I don't mean to brag but I totally raped him. RAPED.

Here's the gameplan. Get Angelo to level 30. Once he gets Multiheal, BOTH bosses are a joke. I just slaughtered this loser. Oomph on Hero and Yangus w/ no psyche = ~180 damage per hit :)

[Vegan]

That fight seems to be pretty notorious with people until 30, the magic number.

[Blind the Thief]

Wow I totally just went against the "boss" in the Dark Ruins.

Wow.


I don't mean to brag but I totally raped him. RAPED.

Here's the gameplan. Get Angelo to level 30. Once he gets Multiheal, BOTH bosses are a joke. I just slaughtered this loser. Oomph on Hero and Yangus w/ no psyche = ~180 damage per hit :)

Yeah, that's exactly what my problem was...Angelo was on level 26. Dammit, this is the first problem I've had, and I'm not looking forward to leveling up 4 levels...*sigh* As it stands, I can get pretty far in the battle, but once Angelo's been killed off a couple times I have no way to revive him, and the plan falls apart. Ah, well, I guess I gotta suck it up and power level...

[Vegan]

Your Hero doesn't have Zing yet? I don't know when he gets that. 4 levels shouldn't be THAT to do, considering you have a huge continent to explore.

[Moxio]

Yeah, that's exactly what my problem was...Angelo was on level 26. Dammit, this is the first problem I've had, and I'm not looking forward to leveling up 4 levels...*sigh* As it stands, I can get pretty far in the battle, but once Angelo's been killed off a couple times I have no way to revive him, and the plan falls apart. Ah, well, I guess I gotta suck it up and power level...

Two words. Metal Slimes.

You could get 4 levels at that point in 30 minutes or less. No joke.

[Vegan]

I'm at the point now where it takes me two hours to go up one measly level.

[Moxio]

I'm at the point now where it takes me two hours to go up one measly level.

Even against KMS's?

[Vegan]

Man those are such rare kills. I've killed only 3 or 4 the entire game. I'm MORE than 100,000 points between levels now.

[kainzero]

Yeah, that's exactly what my problem was...Angelo was on level 26. Dammit, this is the first problem I've had, and I'm not looking forward to leveling up 4 levels...*sigh* As it stands, I can get pretty far in the battle, but once Angelo's been killed off a couple times I have no way to revive him, and the plan falls apart. Ah, well, I guess I gotta suck it up and power level...

Carry a Yggdrasil Leaf...

I beat it at Hero/Yangus 27 Angelo/Jessica 26... use items, make sure Angelo is always healed up, use defend if you need to, don't be afraid to take several turns where you don't attack him...

Multiheal makes the boss way too easy =P

[yester]

Carry a Yggdrasil Leaf...

I beat it at Hero/Yangus 27 Angelo/Jessica 26... use items, make sure Angelo is always healed up, use defend if you need to, don't be afraid to take several turns where you don't attack him...

Multiheal makes the boss way too easy =P

Personally, i would do what was pointed out in the second respond. Go next (west) from the Royal Hunting Ground and fight Metal Slims (sometimes they appear in 8 formation). I did that and it took me about 2-3 hours to level up. With a level of 30 on Angelo you get Multiheal, which makes it easier to heal the party at once.

-> playing now 50 hours and located behind the snowy mountains.:D

[Moxio]

Man those are such rare kills. I've killed only 3 or 4 the entire game. I'm MORE than 100,000 points between levels now.

Somewhat. If you check GameFAQ's FAQs and Message Board (linked from dq8) you can get some good information.

[Joon2324]

I beat the game a few weeks ago. ~60 hours. No extra leveling. The game was fairly difficult, but no extra levelling is necessary. I even managed to do the bonus dungeon for the "good ending."


****SPOILER ALERT****
Least favorite part of the game: We need to get to the Western Continent. We need a boat. I think there's one in the desert. How do we get it out of the desert? Maybe we can go to the castle to find out. So the desert used to be an ocean. The elfman can make the ocean come back with his harp. But his harp just broke and now we need a new harp. Yeah, you can have my harp....but it was stolen by the mole people. Fight the mole people, get the harp, play the song, bring the ocean back, get the boat, get to the Western Continent....

[Vegan]

You just described every RPG ever, n00b. :P

[kainzero]

nahhh, i hated that part too cuz it felt so redundant and nothing really happened storywise.

but when you got the boat it was cool, i like the graphics during that scene when they build the bridge and stuff. =P


i have different strats for fighting metals.
against mks:
turn 1
hero- thunder/lightning thrust (spear skill)
yangus- hatchet man/executioner (axe skill)
angelo- (with meteorite armband) timbrel of tension
jessica- acceleratle

hopefully you'll get a tension boosted acceleratle, that ensures that on turn 2 you'll go first.

turn 2 and onward
hero- thunder/lightning thrust (spear skill)
yangus- hatchet man/executioner (axe skill)
angelo - attack
jessica - attack

now you can only pray for critical hits.

liquid metals
turn 1
hero - psycheup
yangus - hatchet man/executioner
angelo - timbrel of tension
jessica - acceleratle

20/50 tension is USUALLY good enough to kill a liquid metal in one hit with metal slash, so usually i have hero psyche for a turn.

turn 2 and onward
hero - metal slash (sword skill) (using falcon blade)
yangus - executioner
angelo - metal slash / timbrel (using falcon blade)
jessica - timbrel

now it's just about timing your metal slashes, getting lucky with yangus, and so on and so forth.

i'm not sure since i used the liquid metal sword in alchemy, but i know the LMS gives a guaranteed two damage to any metal monster using regular attack. i'm not sure if it gives bonus on tension metal slash.
the metal fang gives a guaranteed 1 damage, which makes it semi-decent against metal slimes. it doesn't stack with tension though.

[yester]

I beat the game a few weeks ago. ~60 hours. No extra leveling. The game was fairly difficult, but no extra levelling is necessary. I even managed to do the bonus dungeon for the "good ending."


****SPOILER ALERT****
Least favorite part of the game: We need to get to the Western Continent. We need a boat. I think there's one in the desert. How do we get it out of the desert? Maybe we can go to the castle to find out. So the desert used to be an ocean. The elfman can make the ocean come back with his harp. But his harp just broke and now we need a new harp. Yeah, you can have my harp....but it was stolen by the mole people. Fight the mole people, get the harp, play the song, bring the ocean back, get the boat, get to the Western Continent....

mmm... i am in my 53th hour of playing and now heading to the pirates cave. I guess, i am taking the long way. My levels so far are 34 for all, except Jessica which has level 33.

[Moxio]

mmm... i am in my 53th hour of playing and now heading to the pirates cave. I guess, i am taking the long way. My levels so far are 34 for all, except Jessica which has level 33.

I'm about 40 hours in and I'm level 35. You should consider leveling up more.

LMS = awesome

KMS = godly (I managed to kill some in the Dragon's Graveyard)

[yester]

I'm about 40 hours in and I'm level 35. You should consider leveling up more.

LMS = awesome

KMS = godly (I managed to kill some in the Dragon's Graveyard)

well, they might be low considering the hours i played, but so far i could beat any boss. I only had a hard time in the dragon graveyard (boss battle). because i got wiped out the first time. But that was more of a strategie thing.
still, i am looking for the metal slims, but all locations appear to have only a few slimes. (well at least not every time a fight occurs.)

[nintendokid]

I am sooooo disappointed in the story....oh wait! What story? There's nothing but paper thin plot here - chase Dhoulmagus from town to town because he stole a wand and turned your kingdom into thornville. Cliche, but yet, everyone gives it a 9/10 rating. But yet, Radiata Stories and the rest of the bunch of RPGs that came out in the last few months are all deemed something like "Well crafted. Plot is tried-and-true so no innovation here. I give it 7/10!" 30 hours into it, and my $49.99 investment hasn't paid off, because there's no entertainment value. I don't get it: AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS OR WHAT? Are all you guys Dragon Quest fans since the NES 8-bit days or something? There is nothing compelling about this game and it gets average 9/10 all over! I am mad, I admit it. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! *sighs...deep breathes...*

[Moxio]

I am sooooo disappointed in the story....oh wait! What story? There's nothing but paper thin plot here - chase Dhoulmagus from town to town because he stole a wand and turned your kingdom into thornville. Cliche, but yet, everyone gives it a 9/10 rating. But yet, Radiata Stories and the rest of the bunch of RPGs that came out in the last few months are all deemed something like "Well crafted. Plot is tried-and-true so no innovation here. I give it 7/10!" 30 hours into it, and my $49.99 investment hasn't paid off, because there's no entertainment value. I don't get it: AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS OR WHAT? Are all you guys Dragon Quest fans since the NES 8-bit days or something? There is nothing compelling about this game and it gets average 9/10 all over! I am mad, I admit it. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! *sighs...deep breathes...*

LMFAO.

You're still early in the story.

Here's some spoilers since you won't care, evidently.









The storyline has little to do with Dhoulmagus. He's just a pawn in a huge evil status structure. And I can BET you can't guess the last boss.

[Moxio]

well, they might be low considering the hours i played, but so far i could beat any boss. I only had a hard time in the dragon graveyard (boss battle). because i got wiped out the first time. But that was more of a strategie thing.
still, i am looking for the metal slims, but all locations appear to have only a few slimes. (well at least not every time a fight occurs.)

You won't ever find a place with ALL MS/LMS/KMS. In fact if you did find some 3 or 5 times in a row you're damn lucky.

That's what makes them to hard to beat. They're rather rare and they run. But the EXP you get is worth it.

You just need to find which places have MORE than others. :)

[yester]

You won't ever find a place with ALL MS/LMS/KMS. In fact if you did find some 3 or 5 times in a row you're damn lucky.

That's what makes them to hard to beat. They're rather rare and they run. But the EXP you get is worth it.

You just need to find which places have MORE than others. :)

yea, i thought that.
But anyway. I found that a good way was to level up in the pirates cove. most of the enemies came in pairs of 4 and every time gave about 1000 exp. Now all my characters have level 35. \\:D/

[yester]

LMFAO.

You're still early in the story.

Here's some spoilers since you won't care, evidently.









The storyline has little to do with Dhoulmagus. He's just a pawn in a huge evil status structure. And I can BET you can't guess the last boss.

Even if i did not finish the game, it appears to me that there is a something more behind.
Spoiler->>>


I am in Empycchu and heart about the story with the bird. Apperantly it reminds me about Zelda.

Anyway, because of this Zelda hero, i got dragged into the story and enjoy every minute of it.
I hope we will see the follow up (well Yango's Adventures). I really love Dragon Quest/Warrior.

[kainzero]

I am sooooo disappointed in the story....oh wait! What story? There's nothing but paper thin plot here - chase Dhoulmagus from town to town because he stole a wand and turned your kingdom into thornville. Cliche, but yet, everyone gives it a 9/10 rating. But yet, Radiata Stories and the rest of the bunch of RPGs that came out in the last few months are all deemed something like "Well crafted. Plot is tried-and-true so no innovation here. I give it 7/10!" 30 hours into it, and my $49.99 investment hasn't paid off, because there's no entertainment value. I don't get it: AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS OR WHAT? Are all you guys Dragon Quest fans since the NES 8-bit days or something? There is nothing compelling about this game and it gets average 9/10 all over! I am mad, I admit it. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! *sighs...deep breathes...*
The plot isn't anything special, but what I really enjoyed was how it unfolded and all the small stories told along the way, especially the exploration part. It's the little things it does that put it way ahead of the other RPGs. I mean FF7's plot is just "kill Sephiroth before he destroys the world" when you put it in a nutshell like that.

One of the cool things about the battle system is that it's challenging, you gotta work to out-think the enemies, how to ration off your MP in dungeons, which attack to use in certain situations, how to distribute your skills and such. "Old-school" or not, most random battles actually engaged me because I had to think about it.

I also liked how well developed the minor characters were, something DQ has always done very strongly, especially given how much time you actually spend with them. Questing with Prince Charmles takes probably an hour but in that hour you get a really good feel for his character (he sucks).

I don't even want to go into Radiata Stories since this is a DQ8 thread but I hated it, plain and simple.

[Moxio]

yea, i thought that.
But anyway. I found that a good way was to level up in the pirates cove. most of the enemies came in pairs of 4 and every time gave about 1000 exp. Now all my characters have level 35. \\:D/

Once you can fly you'll laugh at the Pirate's Cove.

:)

[yester]

Once you can fly you'll laugh at the Pirate's Cove.

:)

Spoiler - do not read if you want to play it...







Well, at the pirates cove, i defeat crow in a nice way. He nearly wiped my party out, because he psyche's up realy fast.
But i used Jessica to use Puff-Puff to get his tension to 0. That way i could get my character to have a tension of at least 20 and casting ommpf (probably wrong name). With this i managed to defeat him. Thats why i enjoyed this particular fight.

do you get more exp in the air?

[yester]

Personally, i like DQ8 because of how it is presented. It uses the same cellshading technic to have a cartoonish world. Plus the fact, that you hero does not actually speak.
The real character i liked in the game are Dhoulmagus, Yangus, Jessica. Especially the voices are well choosen for the charakters. Dhoulmagus has the perfect voice.
Storywise i don't have any complaints. It develops well and keeps you going and you exited to go ahead and uncover more.
In the end its always the same. Fight evil, defeat evil. So there is not difference to other rgp's.
I just wished i could play the early DQ, but i guess i will not find them anymore to buy.
Actually if somebody know where i could get them, i would like to buy them.
Also, the music score is awesome. I just love to listen to the score.
There are some issues which border me a little.
One was the map, which does not allow you to scroll.
The other is, that in DQ8 it never rains. Strange....


The plot isn't anything special, but what I really enjoyed was how it unfolded and all the small stories told along the way, especially the exploration part. It's the little things it does that put it way ahead of the other RPGs. I mean FF7's plot is just "kill Sephiroth before he destroys the world" when you put it in a nutshell like that.

One of the cool things about the battle system is that it's challenging, you gotta work to out-think the enemies, how to ration off your MP in dungeons, which attack to use in certain situations, how to distribute your skills and such. "Old-school" or not, most random battles actually engaged me because I had to think about it.

I also liked how well developed the minor characters were, something DQ has always done very strongly, especially given how much time you actually spend with them. Questing with Prince Charmles takes probably an hour but in that hour you get a really good feel for his character (he sucks).

I don't even want to go into Radiata Stories since this is a DQ8 thread but I hated it, plain and simple.

[Moxio]

Spoiler - do not read if you want to play it...







Well, at the pirates cove, i defeat crow in a nice way. He nearly wiped my party out, because he psyche's up realy fast.
But i used Jessica to use Puff-Puff to get his tension to 0. That way i could get my character to have a tension of at least 20 and casting ommpf (probably wrong name). With this i managed to defeat him. Thats why i enjoyed this particular fight.

do you get more exp in the air?

Oh yeah I remember that battle. It was kinda tough because he had strong attacks but I just Psyched up to 100 and let him have it. 2000+ damage :)


As for flying, you don't get battles in the air. However, you get access to several LMS/KMS-infested places.

[yester]

Oh yeah I remember that battle. It was kinda tough because he had strong attacks but I just Psyched up to 100 and let him have it. 2000+ damage :)


As for flying, you don't get battles in the air. However, you get access to several LMS/KMS-infested places.

How you did that? I mean to get your tention to 100. I never reached the level. He always cast icebreak (or whatever it was) and i had to start by 0.
Anyway, different approaches are possible.
But what about the mini isle between the chaple and castle trodain, Its are cave with a elevator, but i wasn't be able to use it.

[Moxio]

How you did that? I mean to get your tention to 100. I never reached the level. He always cast icebreak (or whatever it was) and i had to start by 0.
Anyway, different approaches are possible.
But what about the mini isle between the chaple and castle trodain, Its are cave with a elevator, but i wasn't be able to use it.

I guess I got lucky because he only used icy wave once or twice when I had just lost tension after attacks. =/

[Vegan]

But what about the mini isle between the chaple and castle trodain, Its are cave with a elevator, but i wasn't be able to use it.

Don't worry, you'll get there eventually.

[io]

So THIS is where the DQ8 discussion went to - the other thread just sort of died off there...

Vegan, how far through the trials have you gotten? I haven't played since I did my last power-levelling to try to defeat the second to last one about 3 weeks ago. I really need to get back into it, because I was holding off on the "good ending" until I finished all the trials.

[yester]

Don't worry, you'll get there eventually.

Well yes, i went yesterday there. It was sad.
But now, i think that i am almost done with the game. So far 65 hours and level 38.

[Vegan]

I'm on the Silver Dragon. I've taken a break for a bit since all I was doing was Whistling for slimes for hours on end, so the Law of Diminishing Returns has taken effect. I figured my time was better spent finishing Shadow of the Colossus. I'm going to try to keep the leveling going a little bit at a time, here and there.

[io]

I'm on the Silver Dragon. I've taken a break for a bit since all I was doing was Whistling for slimes for hours on end, so the Law of Diminishing Returns has taken effect. I figured my time was better spent finishing Shadow of the Colossus. I'm going to try to keep the leveling going a little bit at a time, here and there.

Hehe, I pretty much slammed into the same wall :D. I've been playing AC:WW instead. Like I said earlier, I think the gold is easier than the silver, so if you can get past that silver your good at least till the Darksteel...

[yester]

Hehe, I pretty much slammed into the same wall :D. I've been playing AC:WW instead. Like I said earlier, I think the gold is easier than the silver, so if you can get past that silver your good at least till the Darksteel...

I am not sure, if i will do that. I mean hunt the dragons. I am now in my 73 hour and at the final boss battle.
Unlucky for me, i got already two times wiped out. Somehow i have to change my party order. Oh yes, my party is at level 41.
i am still amazed, how somebody could finish the whole game in 60 hours???

[kainzero]

i am still amazed, how somebody could finish the whole game in 60 hours???
it's not terribly hard... just gotta not level up =P
I think mine was about 65h? I was also pretty lazy about everything though... didn't get Monster Arena till I had flight... but at the same time I left the game on while I did random chores...

[Blind the Thief]

I've just hit the 50-hour mark, and I can fly. I'm supposed to go see the High Priest, but screw that...I want to fly and explore!

I'm level 36, it wasn't too bad...and I complained on the first page of this thread about Dhoulmagus, but I appreciate the challenge. I only had my hero up to level 30 at that point, and everyone else lower...Angelo having Multiheal would have made it too easy.


Someone asked why everyone loves this game, with the plot basically boiling down to chasing Dhoulmagus everywhere...and the answer is the characters make the game. It's much harder to write and give characters great personalities than it is to make an interesting plot. From where I am in the game, I find I care deeply about everyone involved (except Angelo...he doesn't seem to have too much depth). Even most of the smaller characters all have something great about them, giving the whole world much more personality than, say, Radiata Stories had.

[yester]

I've just hit the 50-hour mark, and I can fly. I'm supposed to go see the High Priest, but screw that...I want to fly and explore!

I'm level 36, it wasn't too bad...and I complained on the first page of this thread about Dhoulmagus, but I appreciate the challenge. I only had my hero up to level 30 at that point, and everyone else lower...Angelo having Multiheal would have made it too easy.


Someone asked why everyone loves this game, with the plot basically boiling down to chasing Dhoulmagus everywhere...and the answer is the characters make the game. It's much harder to write and give characters great personalities than it is to make an interesting plot. From where I am in the game, I find I care deeply about everyone involved (except Angelo...he doesn't seem to have too much depth). Even most of the smaller characters all have something great about them, giving the whole world much more personality than, say, Radiata Stories had.

Hey,
i just finished the game yesterday with 74 hours played. I just put the game in my box and go ahead to finish FFX2.
As my final word to DQ8, it was just awesome. One of the games which drags you into the story and always want to coming back to kick some ass. :))
At the end i had level 40 (yangus had 41). I think you could level up to 50 if i am right. but i am not sure about that. As a small tip (not a spoiler) you should boost one ability of each character to 100. It pays off. In my opinion.

[Moxio]

Hey,
i just finished the game yesterday with 74 hours played. I just put the game in my box and go ahead to finish FFX2.
As my final word to DQ8, it was just awesome. One of the games which drags you into the story and always want to coming back to kick some ass. :))
At the end i had level 40 (yangus had 41). I think you could level up to 50 if i am right. but i am not sure about that. As a small tip (not a spoiler) you should boost one ability of each character to 100. It pays off. In my opinion.

I don't think you should close the case yet. Or rather, don't close it so the plastic clangs shut and gets discarded in a sea of old PS2 RPG's. Personal experience.

Did you do the Monster Arena? Dragovian Trials? Casino, even?

Sounds like you've got a lot of content to go through.

[yester]

I don't think you should close the case yet. Or rather, don't close it so the plastic clangs shut and gets discarded in a sea of old PS2 RPG's. Personal experience.

Did you do the Monster Arena? Dragovian Trials? Casino, even?

Sounds like you've got a lot of content to go through.

Well, thats right i guess.
I went to the Monster Arena and achived so far rank c. I have to get more monsters for my team.
Casino...mmm... i found i a little boring. But maybe i will give it a try again.
I know, that know i could go ahead and go to the dragon quests. But i really want to complete FFX2.
DQ8 has more potential than just the main quest, but i need also to play (and finish) my other games.
By the way. Should i give DQ7 a try? They go for outridges prices.

[kainzero]

the trials are kinda boring...

but the extra dungeon with added story is great.

i think it's kinda cool how they put it in after the game too =P i get the feeling that if it were included in the main story arc it would feel out of place, at least regarding the tempo of the game.

[io]

Hey,
i just finished the game yesterday with 74 hours played. I just put the game in my box and go ahead to finish FFX2.
As my final word to DQ8, it was just awesome. One of the games which drags you into the story and always want to coming back to kick some ass. :))
At the end i had level 40 (yangus had 41). I think you could level up to 50 if i am right. but i am not sure about that. As a small tip (not a spoiler) you should boost one ability of each character to 100. It pays off. In my opinion.

I agree with Moxio, you have more DQ8 to go. The real challenge in the game is the Dragovian stuff.

And yes, you can most definitely level beyond 50. Mine are around 51-53 right now. I think you can get them to level 99. I'm doing some power-levelling so I can defeat that damn Darksteel dragon. I figure I'll give it a shot when I get everyone to 55. I finished the first ending at 82 hours (and I had completed the Monster Arena). Now I'm at 105.

Vegan, are you using the elevating shoes when power levelling? I'm not sure exactly what they do, but they seem to make levelling much faster (my guess is they lower the level requirements by half). I bumped my Hero up 2 levels last night in about 1 1/2 hours. And for much of the first level-up I was having terrible luck finding metal slimes (keep getting those damn dark slimes and dark sabercats). Only right at the end did I get a couple Metal Kings with Yangus, and that was pretty much after Hero levelled the last time (so I might be close to another level soon). I figure another couple of hours and I'll be ready to try the Dragovian's again.

[yester]

I agree with Moxio, you have more DQ8 to go. The real challenge in the game is the Dragovian stuff.

And yes, you can most definitely level beyond 50. Mine are around 51-53 right now. I think you can get them to level 99. I'm doing some power-levelling so I can defeat that damn Darksteel dragon. I figure I'll give it a shot when I get everyone to 55. I finished the first ending at 82 hours (and I had completed the Monster Arena). Now I'm at 105.

Vegan, are you using the elevating shoes when power levelling? I'm not sure exactly what they do, but they seem to make levelling much faster (my guess is they lower the level requirements by half). I bumped my Hero up 2 levels last night in about 1 1/2 hours. And for much of the first level-up I was having terrible luck finding metal slimes (keep getting those damn dark slimes and dark sabercats). Only right at the end did I get a couple Metal Kings with Yangus, and that was pretty much after Hero levelled the last time (so I might be close to another level soon). I figure another couple of hours and I'll be ready to try the Dragovian's again.

Ok. Yes i will play it further :)
Like i said, i just pause till i finish FFX2.
Regarding Metal Slimes. There are two places i found, where you actually find some more.
One location is by the tower, before you go ahead to the snow mountain. Just between tower and church, you will see a hill which you could access by landing. Especially in the night you find more there. Even Metal King Slimes.
The other location is on the island where you get involved with Empheria. Its east on the island where you find a chest with a skullhelm. Altough there they did not pop up in high numbers.
Perhaps it has also something todo with day and night apperance.
My only problem was, that they flew after one turn away.l But its indead a good hunt for leveling.

[io]

One location is by the tower, before you go ahead to the snow mountain. Just between tower and church, you will see a hill which you could access by landing. Especially in the night you find more there. Even Metal King Slimes.

That would be where I've spent the last 4-5 hours of game time :D. I'm not sure if they show up more at night or not (though when I play again it will be evening so hopefully they do), but they definitely show up in clusters. I'll get several liquid/kings in a row, then none for 30 battles. It is kind of annoying. At least you get regular ones pretty frequently so you can get 3000-5000 exp or so while waiting for the big buys to show up. I criticalled 2 metal kings with Yangus last night right at the end, so it was worth it.

And I understand what you are saying about getting to other games. Here's a partial list of games I have sitting here sealed, as of yet unplayed: FF X, FFX-2, Disgaea, Phantom Brave, La Pucelle, Atelier Iris, Stella Deus, Baldurs Gate, Champions of Norrath, Skies of Arcadia Legends, Suikoden III and IV, Makai Kingdom, Bard's Tale, LOTR Third Age, Baten Kaitos, and Kingdom Hearts.

I have completed Radiata Stories though!

I'm really trying to finish up DQ8 so I can play Legendia when it comes out next week :D.

[Vegan]

How do you get the Elevating Shoes? If it's an Alchemy Recipe, where do you get it? Is it something I "unlocked" in the Trials, kinda like how you "earn" the recipe for the Timbrel of Tension?

[io]

How do you get the Elevating Shoes? If it's an Alchemy Recipe, where do you get it? Is it something I "unlocked" in the Trials, kinda like how you "earn" the recipe for the Timbrel of Tension?

It is a recipe, though I'm not sure where it is found, if anywhere. I got it from Gamefaqs :D. They can also, apparently, be dropped by (and presumably stolen from) liquid metal slimes (who knew?).

One FAQ I just read claims that they give you experience as you WALK on the overworld or in dungeons. Hmmmm... I did run around a bit in the beginning last night before I remembered the whistle spell, and then used that. So I wasn't actually doing any walking for half of my battles last night. Oh well, I guess I will stick to walking around for encounters next time.

I won't spoil it for you but the recipe invoves a hat and a piece of clothing. Next time I play I will try to add up my experience points and see what it takes to go from one level to the next, whilst running in between battles.

[The Dord]

The only hard part is finding this game for a decent price. I currently cannot find it in my town.. and I'll probably have to go to Gamestop and get robbed again :roll: :lol:

I want this game by friday, but shippin from online makes this game $70.

VS

Wasting all the gas to find a Walmart that has a copy of it.

(Meijer, Blockbuster, even my local Wamart doesn't have it.. is this game this un-common?)

[Vegan]

Hmm normally I try not to use the alchemy pot to make things that I'm not supposed to know how to make yet, but I may make an exception for this since I've been lowered to hours of mindless level grinding and that's really not fun.

[io]

The only hard part is finding this game for a decent price. I currently cannot find it in my town.. and I'll probably have to go to Gamestop and get robbed again :roll: :lol:

I want this game by friday, but shippin from online makes this game $70.

VS

Wasting all the gas to find a Walmart that has a copy of it.

(Meijer, Blockbuster, even my local Wamart doesn't have it.. is this game this un-common?)

Damn, you're right! Neither EB or GS even pretends it exists, meaning they have no new or used copies for sale. And there are pretty much no listings on eBay. Here is one though:

http://cgi.ebay.com/DRAGON-QUEST-VIII-8-DRAGONQUEST-CURSED-KING-NEW-SEALED_W0QQitemZ8255397777QQcategoryZ62053QQssPage NameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Less than $50 shipped. I have no idea who this is so I can't vouch for them - buyer beware :D.

I think my Gamerush still has a copy. Haven't really looked anywhere else, but it is interesting that it is running low. I'm sure it will be reprinted or made GH some day though.

And Vegan - my sentiments exactly. I mean, if you've stopped playing because it is becoming a grind, you might as well use a cheat this once. Also, I'm pretty sure I've been everywhere and I don't think I found the receipt (edit - d'oh, recipe I mean) for elevating shoes, so I'm pretty sure it isn't to be found. It is just one of those hidden things you need a guide or FAQ for :D.

[yester]

Damn, you're right! Neither EB or GS even pretends it exists, meaning they have no new or used copies for sale. And there are pretty much no listings on eBay. Here is one though:

http://cgi.ebay.com/DRAGON-QUEST-VIII-8-DRAGONQUEST-CURSED-KING-NEW-SEALED_W0QQitemZ8255397777QQcategoryZ62053QQssPage NameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Less than $50 shipped. I have no idea who this is so I can't vouch for them - buyer beware :D.

I think my Gamerush still has a copy. Haven't really looked anywhere else, but it is interesting that it is running low. I'm sure it will be reprinted or made GH some day though.

And Vegan - my sentiments exactly. I mean, if you've stopped playing because it is becoming a grind, you might as well use a cheat this once. Also, I'm pretty sure I've been everywhere and I don't think I found the receipt for elevating shoes, so I'm pretty sure it isn't to be found. It is just one of those hidden things you need a guide or FAQ for :D.

Well, Target has for sure copies too. At least the one close to my house has copies. They are not on sale, just regular price, which is 49.99.
But if you have a Target around, give it a try.

[Blind the Thief]

I got mine at Bestbuy during the sale, plus the 10% off coupon, for $25.

PLUS, when I was there, a friend gave me a $20 gift card, so overall I paid $7, including tax. Heh.

[The Dord]

I got mine at Bestbuy during the sale, plus the 10% off coupon, for $25.

PLUS, when I was there, a friend gave me a $20 gift card, so overall I paid $7, including tax. Heh.

I smack you NOW! :lol:

[Blind the Thief]

I was at level 40, about 65 hours, and finally beat it late Thursday night/early Friday morning...and all I'll say is: one of the best RPG endings EVAR.


...time to do the Dragovian stuff!

[io]

I was at level 40, about 65 hours, and finally beat it late Thursday night/early Friday morning...and all I'll say is: one of the best RPG endings EVAR.


...time to do the Dragovian stuff!

Ok, you might appreciate the following info then. Some background: I beat the game around 82 hours, I think at level 43 or so. Then I went on to the Dragovian stuff, gained a few levels doing the normal progression of that, then attempted the Dragovian trials. The first 2 weren't too bad, but I got stuck for a bit at the Silver dragon. I finally beat him and then the Gold was easy. Then I got absolutely destroyed by the Darksteel, which is the second to last one. So I decided to spend a while power-levelling.

As discussed previously I made some elevating shoes, which may add exp. when walking around. Here are the results of my power-levelling in the slime hills (near the tower) last night:

Started off with some piddly blue slime/dark slime battle that levelled Hero to 53, so apparently I had stopped one battle short of levelling the previous session.

Then I got the following exp. points, running in between each battle (so the shoes would work):

1300
4224, Jessica -> 51
261
1357
507
0
30010
397
10050, Angelo -> 53
10050
261
4693
5487
507
89
330
0
0
89
330
507
6890
2972, Yangus -> 55
30010, Hero -> 54

Those of you accustomed to fighting metal slimes can probably recognize what some of those battles were :D.

So, I participated in 24 battles, running in between. This all took 27 minutes. Then I continued on for another level, and was cursed with very bad luck finding liquid and king metals. It took me 47 minutes to gain another level.

The total exp from level 53 to 54 was 110321 (though with that 30010 at the end the actual might have been a bit less). The total exp from 54 to 55 was 121995 (though again I finished with a 20100 exp battle, so it might be less). It seems that it is around 100,000 to 110,000 to gain levels. This does not count any levelling the shoes may have done while running.

Hope this info helps :D.

[io]

So then, at level 55 I attempted the Darksteel dragon again and was utterly destroyed. I don't think I even did as well as when I tried it at level 48 or so. The problem is that you gain very little HP with levelling (maybe 4 or so). His 3 bite attacks per turn hit for 250-280, so most characters die if bit twice, and don't even get an attack in (since he goes first). There must be some better strategy to use on him. I even managed to get Yangus tensioned to 100 and get a hit in with Parallax - did a whopping 130 damage. Then the dragon killed 3 characters the next turn leaving Jessica there with no way of ressurecting anyone else. She lasted 2 bites :D.

[Blind the Thief]

I don't really see the point of beating him everytime, though. I'd like ot get the helmet and armor to see an alternate costume on my hero, and I know once I beat him the first time I can see the "good" ending...but I don't see any point in going any further, other than to prove I can.

Sadly, in an RPG "proving you can" usually just means you're willing to spend more time leveling up than others...and I have too many games to focus on at the moment. Still gotta see that other ending though, even if it's only slightly different.

[io]

I don't really see the point of beating him everytime, though. I'd like ot get the helmet and armor to see an alternate costume on my hero, and I know once I beat him the first time I can see the "good" ending...but I don't see any point in going any further, other than to prove I can.

Sadly, in an RPG "proving you can" usually just means you're willing to spend more time leveling up than others...and I have too many games to focus on at the moment. Still gotta see that other ending though, even if it's only slightly different.

Well, it is the challenge of the thing too. Levelling doesn't seem to be making much difference, so I'm going to try different tactics. I think you need all the difference armor pieces for the appearance change, correct? And of course I had to get the Dragovian sword. I'm still missing one armor, so I wanted to get that for sure. I might not do the last dragon if it is any tougher than this one :D.

I have a TON of other games to play, but as long as I'm enjoying myself on this one why bother? Plus I'd like to do at least one game every once in a while to total completion.

Hey, I heard after you get through all the trials if you challenge him again you get all the dragon forms IN SUCCESSION. Now THAT would be a challenge!

[io]

OK, I finally beat the MOFO Darksteel Dragon. It took me about 4 tries LATE LATE Saturday night (OK, it is 5am Sunday now).

The levelling is not really critical. I probably could have done this 10 levels earlier. The key is to heal like mad with Hero and Angelo, use the Timbrel with Jessica, and ABOVE ALL use kabuff to the max (I think the most you can get out of it is 200). Then use Executioner with Yangus. You really don't even need to bother attacking with anyone else, though I managed to get a few 100+ hits in with Hero using metal slash when psyched to 50. Yangus will hit for about 333 with Executioner, and the Darksteel has about 1800 HP.

The kabuff is key though, and is what I was NOT doing before. With that you can withstand 2 bites on a single character. I also equipped Angelo and Hero with Meteorite bracers so they often went before the dragon. I read some info in a FAQ that suggested using Acceleratle - well, none of my chars has that, so that was not an option for me (apparently Jessica gets this with Stave skill, which I ignored).

So my main strategy change was the kabuff and really concentrating on having Yangus use Executioner. I would do Omniheal with Hero and Multiheal with Angelo even if it ended up being redundant. The first time through I was very unlucky and had 2 dead chars when the Dragovian turned into the Darksteel, so he wiped me out quick.

On my successful attempt, I also used my monster team and made sure Pa Troll was in there - he did one desperate attack that hit for 300. All the rest of the monsters on both teams combined for about 100, and most got killed :D.

I finally got the last Dragovian item and Hero looks quite cool in his new outfit. I snapped this picture at 4am - please pardon the kitchen lights reflected where the dragon statues are :D.

<<deleted, better picture below>>

He's got the Dragovian King Sword slung on his back there too (Liquid Metal Sword + Dragovian Sword).

One FAQ I looked at makes it seem like I have 2 more dragons to go, but after I got the helm tonight, I only have one more prize to claim (the legendary monster). Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow what that's all about.

[Dante Devil]

This is a very addictive game. I have put in about 20 hours. I bought when it first came out but set aside to play COD2, DOA4, and Kameo. This game kicks all of their asses (maybe not COD2). Haven't touched my 360 in days! I guess it not the system that counts but the games.

[b3b0p]

The only hard part is finding this game for a decent price. I currently cannot find it in my town.. and I'll probably have to go to Gamestop and get robbed again :roll: :lol:

I want this game by friday, but shippin from online makes this game $70.

VS

Wasting all the gas to find a Walmart that has a copy of it.

(Meijer, Blockbuster, even my local Wamart doesn't have it.. is this game this un-common?)

Where were you during the Best Buy sale? $34.99 in store + $10 off coupon. $24.99 + tax OTD. I consider this one of my best deals of 2005, maybe even the best. Just wish I had a Playstation 2 to play it.

[io]

OK, I got a better picture of the Dragovian gear tonight:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/1716/dq13nq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[io]

The Dragon after Darksteel is the Divine Dragon. He was MUCH easier. Only 2 hits per round, though he would desperate attack occasionally. The Lord of the Dragovians told me I was done and should go take care of business, so I guess there was only one more. I went and got the "legendary monster" first though. He's a metal king slime named "Hev".

Here is the Divine dragon:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7498/dq27xu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

and, a great shot here (OUCH!):

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4977/dq36mi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[io]

And, some pics from the TRUE ending. Some minor spoilish type things in here so don't look if you don't want to...



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Ah, what a sweetheart:

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9086/dq49mt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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Charmless, having been pwned, throws a temper tantrum:

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2433/dq68sw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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And finally, the TRUE ending:

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9712/dq55hd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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[Vegan]

The new ending is such a biiig surprise after the Dragovian extra story.

[io]

The new ending is such a biiig surprise after the Dragovian extra story.

Yes, this ending was obvious from the moment I saw Eltrio's grave on the way to the Dragovian town :D. But the Dragovian stuff was fun (and challenging) nonetheless.

The "true" ending is a bit flaky there at the very end. The shot I took is the last "new" part, then for some reason they revert back to the other ending, even so far as putting Hero back in his bandana outfit and having Trode drive him and Medea off saying they can now choose their own future or whatever. It is like they forgot they just got married :D.

[Blind the Thief]

Yeah, I thought the original ending was better than the "good" ending...which is strange, since technically the "good" one had everything I wanted.

If they'd combined them, so that Clavius pwned Charmles with the fake Argon Heart, there was still the guards chasing you, and Trode fighting with the stick...but THEN Clavius changes his mind once his son acts cowardly, and they end up gettin' married...that would have been the best thing ever.

[io]

So now that I'm pretty much completely done with DQ8, it is kind of a sad day. I've been playing it so often for so long, even though I have a ton of other games to get to I'll miss DQ8. (The only thing I could do if I wanted to extend my playing time is complete my defeated monster list - I was surpised at how many blanks there are in that thing!)

Are there any other RPG's similar in style to DQ8? I am probably going to start Tales of Legendia this week, assuming GR gets it in on time. I've played ToS before, so I know what to expect there. But after that, is there anything else that compares to DQ8? Basically, the only other PS2 RPG I've played is Radiata Stories.

[Alastor]

I just finished the game in 90 hrs. What an awesome game!
Anyway, so there's a different ending that you can get by finishing the game a second time? Well, I guess I'm not completly done with it yet then :)

[io]

I just finished the game in 90 hrs. What an awesome game!
Anyway, so there's a different ending that you can get by finishing the game a second time? Well, I guess I'm not completly done with it yet then :)

You have to go do the Dragovian stuff - the dream you have at the end right before saving shows where that starts, though it is pretty obvious if you've explored everywhere. It is a rather large structure you can get to only by flying that served no purpose (till after the 1st ending). You are looking at a minimum of another 4 hours, and as many as 8-30 more if you try to do all the Dragovian trials (and spend time levelling up like Vegan and I).

[kainzero]

So now that I'm pretty much completely done with DQ8, it is kind of a sad day. I've been playing it so often for so long, even though I have a ton of other games to get to I'll miss DQ8. (The only thing I could do if I wanted to extend my playing time is complete my defeated monster list - I was surpised at how many blanks there are in that thing!)

Yeah, seriously, I feel you on that one.

It was really fun playing DQ8 and exploring the world. I didn't really care for the Trials, but my brother really enjoyed levelling up for me and ended up beating Darksteel at 52... I dunno how or what he did, but he did in fact beat them.

I tried other RPGs and it's just not the same anymore. I was thoroughly disappointed with anything else I've touched... SO: TTEoT and Radiata Stories did little to appease the post-DQ8 syndrome.

I feel like starting DQ8 over again, but trying out new skill sets and having that additional challenge =P

[io]

Yeah, seriously, I feel you on that one.

It was really fun playing DQ8 and exploring the world. I didn't really care for the Trials, but my brother really enjoyed levelling up for me and ended up beating Darksteel at 52... I dunno how or what he did, but he did in fact beat them.

I tried other RPGs and it's just not the same anymore. I was thoroughly disappointed with anything else I've touched... SO: TTEoT and Radiata Stories did little to appease the post-DQ8 syndrome.

I feel like starting DQ8 over again, but trying out new skill sets and having that additional challenge =P

Hmmm... I didn't think of that. I didn't do anything with staffs, scythes, fisticuffs, and a few others. But Legendia comes out tomorrow and I think I will start on that. Maybe I can replay DQ8 in a year or so with the new skills, so it is a bit more fresh.

[doraemonkerpal]

http://www.galbadiax.com/article/2006-01-30/dq-yangus

i hope they're bringing this to the US b/c he's my favorite character from dq8 :)

[asianxcore]

Personally, i would do what was pointed out in the second respond. Go next (west) from the Royal Hunting Ground and fight Metal Slims (sometimes they appear in 8 formation).

west from inside the Hunting Grounds, or just the location?

I want to level up before I go to the dark ruins

[Vegan]

I want to level up before I go to the dark ruins

Oh yeah you definately want to. >:)

[asianxcore]

Oh yeah you definately want to. >:)

yea. 2 of my friends that I talked to that have finished the game recommended as well that I level up before the ruins, or at the ruins (high metal slime count?)

also, I found that Metal Slime spot that Yester was talking about. they are VERY common there, it's crazy. I think it took me only an hour to level up everyone 2-3 levels. woo.

[yester]

I took me that long to start finish the game for the good ending.
I prepare right now for the final boss (hello again).

Just have the question, if i am right that these trials are not story related. Or?
I mean, i don't have to do them. I was reading in a guide, where it states that you should have level 65 to fight the last form.

Did anybody these trials?

[FriskyTanuki]

What the fuck? Now I can't get out of Pickham in DQ8 since the screen just stays black when I try to get out of the town. I had saved it last time before going into the nearby cave since I didn't have the time to do that, but now it's impossible. Looks like I have to start over again and I may not do it for a while. :-(

[Vegan]

Can you warp out?

I can't remember if you can warp from inside towns... But maybe that would work.

[JSweeney]

I took me that long to start finish the game for the good ending.
I prepare right now for the final boss (hello again).

Just have the question, if i am right that these trials are not story related. Or?
I mean, i don't have to do them. I was reading in a guide, where it states that you should have level 65 to fight the last form.

Did anybody these trials?

That's not a bad idea, as the "last form" of the dragovian lord makes you run through each form in order before you even get to fight it. It's a marathon session, and getting Dragon's Soul attack makes it quite a bit easier.

Of course, it really helps to get the Alchemy pot upgrade as your first reward and then make a second Timbrel of Tension.

[FriskyTanuki]

Can you warp out?

I can't remember if you can warp from inside towns... But maybe that would work.
I didn't think about that. I'll try it and see if I can get out of this town. What's the name of the town comes before this one, where you help make the grieving King say his last goodbye to his wife and become happy again?

[Blind the Thief]

I didn't think about that. I'll try it and see if I can get out of this town. What's the name of the town comes before this one, where you help make the grieving King say his last goodbye to his wife and become happy again?

Ascantha, was it? I think that was the one.

[FriskyTanuki]

Ascantha, was it? I think that was the one.
That's it, but I can't zoom there, so I tried to zoom to Ruined Abbey and that didn't work either. Looks like I have to start all over again.

[JSweeney]

That's it, but I can't zoom there, so I tried to zoom to Ruined Abbey and that didn't work either. Looks like I have to start all over again.

Did you just get to Pickham? When you first get there, a guy steals the horse and wagon, and you're not allowed to leave Pickham until resolving that.

[FriskyTanuki]

Did you just get to Pickham? When you first get there, a guy steals the horse and wagon, and you're not allowed to leave Pickham until resolving that.
Did you read my first post? I was about to go into the cave, but decided to go back to Pickham to save and try the cave later. It's lets me go through the entrance to go out, but the screen stays black and I can hear ambient noises if I turn up the sound. I'm thinking this might be the disc, because I started a new game and it's running like shit during cutscenes in Farebury. It's gotten stuck at the moon twice when you're forced to leave the town and it's gotten stuck during the convo just after that, where the voice acting would stop halfway through the sentence and there would be a delay between switching to the next person and it stopped when the girl comes out after the group.

Edit: Got stuck again in that cutscene, with Yangus bobbing his head and Trode stomping on the ground. This is really fucking annoying. I think I'm about to give up on the game.

Edit 2: I checked the disc and saw some dust on it, so I wiped it off and it went through the cutscene without a problem. Hopefully this is the last trouble I see. I'll have to give the Pickham save another try.

Edit 3: Now I can get out of Pickham. :)

[io]

Bumped for DQVIII being $19.99 retail now! ($14.99 after GGC)

Now NO ONE has an excuse not to own it!

[Vegan]

Wow. That's awesome!

[nachzeher]

I found a pretty cool online walkthrough:

http://rpg-home.lunar-net.com/dq-web/index.html

[pete5883]

After a few ups and downs with this game, I was finally so bored that I just had to go back and beat it. And even though I dreaded going back to it, it was actually fun, and the ending was good. I just wish that what there is to do after the game wasn't so hard and annoying-looking.

[Vegan]

After a few ups and downs with this game, I was finally so bored that I just had to go back and beat it. And even though I dreaded going back to it, it was actually fun, and the ending was good. I just wish that what there is to do after the game wasn't so hard and annoying-looking.

You have to understand, this was basically an NES RPG game with a new coat of paint. Ironically, what you found boring is what got people so totally excited for this game.

[eldad9]

I wonder if any of those people would like Dragon Quest 1+2 for the GBC? I'll CYL.

[pete5883]

You have to understand, this was basically an NES RPG game with a new coat of paint. Ironically, what you found boring is what got people so totally excited for this game.

I meant bored outside of the game. And I knew what to expect, I played 150 hours of DQVII :roll:

[paddlefoot]

How does this game compare to its PS1 predecessor (DWVII)?

[Vegan]

How does this game compare to its PS1 predecessor (DWVII)?

I've never played DQ7, but I hear it's made of crap. DQ8 is made of awesome.

[pete5883]

I liked VII better because of the job thing. VIII obviously has much better graphics though, and exploration is more fun as a result.

[daschrier]

I love them both.

[Vegan]

I liked VII better because of the job thing. VIII obviously has much better graphics though, and exploration is more fun as a result.

I don't like job systems in RPGs, they make things too complicated for my tastes.

[pete5883]

Well when the battle system generally consists of nothing more than Attack-Attack-Attack, some complication can be nice.

[VulSuck]

io, if you're still looking for a game similar to DQVIII, you might try...Chrono Trigger.

[io]

io, if you're still looking for a game similar to DQVIII, you might try...Chrono Trigger.

Thanks,

I'll keep that in mind when they start the PS1 downloads for PSP... I suppose I could look for a PS1 version, but I have such a backlog of PS2/GC/PSP/DS/GBA games I'd have a hard time fitting that in :rofl:.

[Backlash]

Question (SPOILER ALERT)



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I beat the game the normal way, and I have beaten the first dragon of the Dragovian Trials. Do you get anything for beating all the dragons, or for going back and beating Rapthorne again? I.e. a different ending? It seems like it will take forever to level up enough to beat all the dragons (I'm currently only level 42) and i don't know if I want to spend the time...

[io]

Question (SPOILER ALERT)



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I beat the game the normal way, and I have beaten the first dragon of the Dragovian Trials. Do you get anything for beating all the dragons, or for going back and beating Rapthorne again? I.e. a different ending? It seems like it will take forever to level up enough to beat all the dragons (I'm currently only level 42) and i don't know if I want to spend the time...

You do get a different ending for going through the Trials - but I think, maybe, you only have to do one? I know you don't have to do them all, but I'm not sure how many as I did them all before beating Rhapthorne again. You do need to go back to Rhapthorne (who was pathetically easy once I had levelled up for the Dragovian stuff).

You might want to go through a couple of Dragons though as you can get the cool outfit if you get the sword and armor pieces (your appearance changes). The only really hard Dragon is the Darksteel one - so I'd say at least get to him. If you can get through him, the one afterwards isn't too hard and you might as well get them all. So it looks like you can get all the gear without beating the Darksteel - 2 of the treasures are not pieces of Dragovian gear, so you can skip the last 2 Dragons and still get the full set.

I spent a great deal of time levelling, but it really isn't necessary. You don't actually get many HP from each level, and that is really what you need to withstand his multiple attacks. I ended up beating him by changing strategy - I detailed this earlier in this thread (look back a few pages - the key is the Kabuff spell, the Timbrel of Tension and using Executioner with Yangus). There are also pictures of the Dragovian gear there if you want to see what it looks like.

Edit - It is all just back on Page 4 - how I beat the Darksteel and the pictures of the Dragovian gear and the "true" ending. Don't look unless you want massive spoilers or aren't intending to get the second ending.

[Backlash]

Cool thanks. Yeah, I've been using kabuff in all big battles (not just bosses) ever since I got it a long time ago. I got the Alchemy pot upgrade after the Vermillion Dragon, so I can make some good gear fast. Maybe I'll give them a shot.

[Brak]

I liked the old Dragon Warriors and RPGs in the style of EarthBound: Will I like this?

[Vegan]

Most likely.

[tehweezner]

finished the game yesterday and i have to say, best rpg i've ever played besides chrono trigger.

my listed completion time was 72 hours. Hero and yangus were level 38, angelo and jessica 37.

awesome game, a must play for sure.

[Puffa469]

I havent played this in a looong time, but I believe you get one of the best things in the game from the Dragovian Trials. Isnt that where you get the 'instant cook' ability for the alchemy pot?

imo, this is the absolute best thing in the game. You dont know how many hours I spent running into the corner with a rubberband around the controller cooking things in that damn alchemy pot. After I got the instant ready pot, I was a cheese making machine! lol

Since most of the best items in the game can only be made thru using that damn pot, the ability to make stuff instantaneously was huge for me.

[Blind the Thief]

I havent played this in a looong time, but I believe you get one of the best things in the game from the Dragovian Trials. Isnt that where you get the 'instant cook' ability for the alchemy pot?

imo, this is the absolute best thing in the game. You dont know how many hours I spent running into the corner with a rubberband around the controller cooking things in that damn alchemy pot. After I got the instant ready pot, I was a cheese making machine! lol

Since most of the best items in the game can only be made thru using that damn pot, the ability to make stuff instantaneously was huge for me.

I like how this and the Dragovian trials are entirely pointless.

[Backlash]

I like how this and the Dragovian trials are entirely pointless.

Not entirely true - if you go through at least the first trial you get more background info about the character's origins and storyline and stuff, and a different ending.

[Ski Hawk]

Sorry to bump, but this is the greatest game I have ever played.

The only thing I find weird is, I am only 15, and never played any old chool RPGs loke Chrono Trigger and Earthbound. I think that's a little weird that a modern gamer like me can appreciate this "old school" game. Picked it up on sale at GC on Christmas Eve 2005, put it down once I couldn't beat the second boss. Picked it back up in March, beat the boss, and the game absolutely took off. Didn't put it down until June, got 107 hours on it, beat all the Dragovian Trials. The game is on clearance at Target for $10, anyone who hasn't picked this up MUST DO SO right now.

[Allnatural]

I had never played any of the "classic" RPGs either (though I've been gaming since the 80s), but I really enjoyed DQVIII. I think I put more than 95 hours into it.

[sparklecopy]

is there any way to get a good .psv save for ps3 with high hp at the beginning so i can play this without dying all the time? The battles are too hard and I don't want to fight a hundred little monsters to level up just to get to the next dungeon.

[Ski Hawk]

is there any way to get a good .psv save for ps3 with high hp at the beginning so i can play this without dying all the time? The battles are too hard and I don't want to fight a hundred little monsters to level up just to get to the next dungeon.
Just grind through thefirst two bosses. After that the game becomes a little easier (to the point where you don't have to level grind). That is when the game skyrockets.

[Backlash]

Yeah the beginning of the game is much harder than almost all of the rest of it, with the exception of one or two other bosses. But, expect to do some grinding if you're not doing any sidequests (which would tend to help level you up some).

[tehweezner]

Sorry to bump, but this is the greatest game I have ever played.


for me Chrono Trigger is the only RPG that ranks above DQVIII. both are tremendous achievements.

[keithp]

is there any way to get a good .psv save for ps3 with high hp at the beginning so i can play this without dying all the time? The battles are too hard and I don't want to fight a hundred little monsters to level up just to get to the next dungeon.

That's the point of old-school rpg'ing. Just stick with it, it's definitely worth it.

[eldergamer]

It's definately dull and tedious. I enjoy old-school turn based rpgs. but with my limited time schedule these days it's really hard to get into the pattern of
1. fight
2. heal after fights until mp runs out.
3. return to town to rest
4. fight more
4b. go to next dungeon. get defeated by boss
5. buy new equipment with money.
6. fight more.
7. see numbers 2 & 3.

I needed the strategy guide just so I didnt waste hours 'exploring' between towns.

[keithp]

It's definately dull and tedious. I enjoy old-school turn based rpgs. but with my limited time schedule these days it's really hard to get into the pattern of
1. fight
2. heal after fights until mp runs out.
3. return to town to rest
4. fight more
4b. go to next dungeon. get defeated by boss
5. buy new equipment with money.
6. fight more.
7. see numbers 2 & 3.

I needed the strategy guide just so I didnt waste hours 'exploring' between towns.

Hmm, I find exploring in an RPG to be fun.

[Baron O Hell]

I see what he means by the grind. I just started the game and it is a tough go. Haven't gotten to the second boss or saved the girl yet. I kind of expected more after putting in 5+ hours. However, I'm not going to drop it anytime soon.

[Backlash]

The beginning (especially first cave) is the second-hardest part of the game. It gets much easier and less grinding is needed once you get Jessica.

[Puffa469]

I see what he means by the grind. I just started the game and it is a tough go. Haven't gotten to the second boss or saved the girl yet. I kind of expected more after putting in 5+ hours. However, I'm not going to drop it anytime soon.

The beginning (especially first cave) is the second-hardest part of the game. It gets much easier and less grinding is needed once you get Jessica.

Yeah this game doesnt get going until the time most games are wrapping it up. Im remembering it being about 12-15 hours in before things started to go smoothly for me. Of course this is a 70-100 hour game were talking about here. Getting Jessica is a huge help.

[Dead of Knight]

My boyfriend, a Dragon Quest geek, is playing this game for the first time. In the Japanese version because he's Japanese. It's fun to watch him play it, as I played it when it first came out here. It's kind of like replaying it, but not having to go through the trouble of doing it yourself. :lol:

[Baron O Hell]

I put so much time into to this game last night. I was just going to play for a hour but that turned into 5. I think Jessica's boobs made me forget the time. That is a mighty low cut dress she has on.

[Allnatural]

I think Jessica's boobs made me forget the time. That is a mighty low cut dress she has on.
Magic Bikini <- remember that (you'll find out later)

[DrNo888]

Playing this game right now. I am at the part about getting the the Moonshadow Harp. Fun so far and I am already up over 27 hours. Spent a lot of time exploring and trying to find all the treasure chests.

Anyways, one thing I dont like about it so far is you have to get to a town to save the same. Spent way more time than I had to in the castle fighting and having to zoom back to a town to save when I had to go to sleep. Then, had to go through the castle again to find the library.

[DaddyBoJangles]

Playing through it right now for the first time. I am loving every moment in this game. Im a little bit further than above poster. I have about 30 hours clocked and I maybe play for 5-10 hours a week due to work if im lucky. Slowly but surely I will beat this masterpiece.

[DrNo888]

Got the boat and on Argonia right now. I also only play a few hours a week. I think I have more hours log since I check every nook and cranny in every town and try to find all the treasure chests outdoors. Over 38 hours now. May take me 150 hours to finish! LOL!

[Baron O Hell]

I'm 27 hours in and looking for The Toad King's horse daughter. How dare they take a man's horse. Mark my words, there will be blood.

[camoor]

I'm 27 hours in and looking for The Toad King's horse daughter. How dare they take a man's horse. Mark my words, there will be blood.

And a right lot at that, eh gov?

[keithp]

And a right lot at that, eh gov?

LOL, it's got to be a mark of great character design when you can still hear the exact voice saying that even after years of not having played the game!

[eldergamer]

I just realized I (according to gamefaqs) need to spend the next few hours (days and weeks of real time) leveling up to level 30 to fight the <spoiler?> Dark Ruins boss.

[DrNo888]

Ugh..really?
I am about to head there but not even close to level 30. Guess I will explore the previous island more. Was wondering about the blind man in the forest. Now I can find out!

[DaddyBoJangles]

Im at work 7pm to 7am tonight to sell salt, got my samsung940 mw and my ps3 and im ready to clock some serious dragon quest 8 time. I just got my ship im exploring around the diffrent islands.

[VanillaGorilla]

Im at work 7pm to 7am tonight to sell salt, got my samsung940 mw and my ps3 and im ready to clock some serious dragon quest 8 time. I just got my ship im exploring around the diffrent islands.Shouldn't you be selling salt instead of playing games?

[DaddyBoJangles]

Shouldn't you be selling salt instead of playing games?

I can do both. Its called Multi-tasking. It also helps when only 2 or 3 trucks come in every hour to have a ticket printed up.

[Dead of Knight]

My boyfriend has clocked like 45 hours and hasn't even fought Dhoulmagus for the first time. He's mixing new equipment before he goes into the dungeon with him in it. I took 61ish on the whole game (not including the post-initial-ending stuff), but I did use a guide more than him. It'll be interesting to see what he ends up clocking in at.

[VanillaGorilla]

My boyfriend has clocked like 45 hours and hasn't even fought Dhoulmagus for the first time. He's mixing new equipment before he goes into the dungeon with him in it. I took 61ish on the whole game (not including the post-initial-ending stuff), but I did use a guide more than him. It'll be interesting to see what he ends up clocking in at.Well, when I played this game, back in December of 2005, I put about 100 hours into it, but I did EVERYTHING. I bought the strategy guide when I got the game, and did nothing but follow it, since I knew I couldn't get through the game and it's antiquated battle system without knowing all the secrets.

[Dead of Knight]

I heard the official guide was terrible, and I'm not fond of spending $20 for a goddamn guide, so I used a guide on Gamefaqs.

[Baron O Hell]

I'm using gamefaqs but only after I been to a place. So first I try to find stuff on my own and once I think I'm done I'll check gamefaqs to see if I missed anything. It is a fun game but I don't plan on playing twice.

[camoor]

Gamefaqs definately makes the game more enjoyable - I'd be super pissed if I'd missed picking up the thief key and master key plus I had no idea on how to unlock Morrie's place. I also enjoy not being killed in a boss fight because I didn't know which gimmicky attack that boss was fond of using beforehand.

[camoor]

LOL, it's got to be a mark of great character design when you can still hear the exact voice saying that even after years of not having played the game!

For real, he is hands down the best character. I could have sworn Bob Hoskins was doing the voice when he first started talking.

One thing that does grate on my nerves is the fact you need to push a button every time a character speaks. I mean, just play the damn scene so I can fold socks or open mail while the characters talk.

[DrNo888]

Is there anything interesting in the desert area Southwest of Argonia?
I got a dragonscale and dragon dung. Other than that I was expecting something more.

[camoor]

Anyone else chuckling at all the innuendo? I'm a bit surprised considering the otherwise kid-friendly tone.

VA-VA-VOOOM!

[Vegan]

Anyone else chuckling at all the innuendo? I'm a bit surprised considering the otherwise kid-friendly tone.

VA-VA-VOOOM!

You want innuendo? Find the hidden Puff-Puff house. Jesus christ...

[io]

You want innuendo? Find the hidden Puff-Puff house. Jesus christ...

:rofl:

I forgot about that. That was classic Japanese RPG wierdness right there.


Well, when I played this game, back in December of 2005, I put about 100 hours into it, but I did EVERYTHING. I bought the strategy guide when I got the game, and did nothing but follow it, since I knew I couldn't get through the game and it's antiquated battle system without knowing all the secrets.

Oh please :roll:... I thought the battle system was too simple and old-school for you? Why would you need a guide for that?

I just peeked at a FAQ for some alchemy stuff and the monster arena a bit, but this is a good game to just let things come as they may. I agree, though, camoor, that getting the info on the keys might be a good idea too. I had completely forgotten about those.

[camoor]

I just peeked at a FAQ for some alchemy stuff and the monster arena a bit, but this is a good game to just let things come as they may. I agree, though, camoor, that getting the info on the keys might be a good idea too. I had completely forgotten about those.

I guess it depends how far you're in.

I felt the same way until I got about halfway through when the quests became a little more inane (IE: find this tree that shows up only at dawn), the alchemy recipes become more complex, and you need to start power-leveling.

IMO knowing the metal slime areas is a must for enjoying the game, and without using a FAQ I would never have found the best ones. And I just wish they gave you a little more direction with the alchemy pot. I mean, I read every book and searched every town, but matching items you have to nebulous recipes is so random.

[io]

Well, I really relied on the FAQs when I was done with the main game and trying to do the extra stuff. THAT was when I needed to find the metal slimes for power-leveling. I didn't think it was too necessary for the main quest though. But on the other hand, I'm pretty thorough when I play RPGs so I may have leveled up enough through complete exploration, doing the monster arena to completion, etc, before I took on the final boss so it wasn't a big deal. If you were trying to power through the game then knowing more of the secrets early on would help.

[bigl523]

lol, i popped this game back in just to see what the puff-puff house fuss was all about, glad to say i checked it out :)

[camoor]

Just got it.

Slime Shady. McHammer. etc

Haha.

[iceblast21]

You want innuendo? Find the hidden Puff-Puff house. Jesus christ...

What an over-reaction. :roll: The puff-puff house was pretty lame. God of War was way more pornographic than the puff-puff house. I thought the puff house was just funny and weird... but not really offensive or deserving of Japanese insults. Bah.

What pisses me off MOST about this game was fighting Dhoulmagus. Everyone should remember this one battle where you absolutely cannot defeat his second form. This isn't a spoiler: it's a warning.

Nothing's more :bomb:frustrating :bomb:than realizing you're supposed to get a game-over before continuing with the story.... (but I'll keep the other details to myself, so as not to spoil too much).

The optional level at the end was pretty hardcore. I remember getting through maybe half of the dragon bosses before calling it quits. They're way too hard...

And my final tally: 160 hours. :drool:

The longest I've spent on any single game. :roll:

[blueshinra]

What an over-reaction. :roll: The puff-puff house was pretty lame. God of War was way more pornographic than the puff-puff house. I thought the puff house was just funny and weird... but not really offensive or deserving of Japanese insults. Bah.That's the thing - the puff-puff house is innuendo, not pornography. Innuendo being innuendo, you weren't supposed to see much to begin with. I mean, it's a T-rated game...

That said, it was one of the funnier parts of the game, especially once you see the slimes! I don't know if Akira Toriyama had anything to do with that sidequest aside from the character designs (obviously), but it's indicative of his brand of humor. If you aren't already familiar with said sense of humor, things like the puff-puff house can be pretty jarring and weird.

[camoor]

The localization is pretty darn good.

It's obvious they want to build this game as more of a franchise player in America, the attention to detail shows.

I could also see that they didn't give a damn about being PC :lol:

[io]

What an over-reaction. :roll: The puff-puff house was pretty lame. God of War was way more pornographic than the puff-puff house. I thought the puff house was just funny and weird... but not really offensive or deserving of Japanese insults. Bah.

Wow, way to misread everyone here. I don't think Vegan was offended at all - maybe just commenting that it was a bit over the top, perhaps. And if the Japanese insult thing was directed at me - wow... I simply said "That was classic Japanese RPG wierdness right there". You said yourself it was wierd, so I guess you agree. The term "Japanese RPG" refers to the game type - do you disagree that DQ VIII is a Japanese RPG? And this was a classic off-the-wall Japanese RPG element. By the way, I loved it - was laughing out loud at its wierdness, actually :lol:.


The optional level at the end was pretty hardcore. I remember getting through maybe half of the dragon bosses before calling it quits. They're way too hard...

And my final tally: 160 hours. :drool:

The longest I've spent on any single game. :roll:
You put 160 hours into it and couldn't get through the Dragovian stuff? After playing that much they should have been a breeze. I put about 120 in with the last 30 simply leveling up so I could do them. One of them (not the last one) was by far the toughest and once I got past that it was pretty easy. You must have been on that guy when you stopped. It is all about using the Tibrel of Tension (I think that's what it was called - look back in this thread).

[Baron O Hell]

Zoom zoom away. So I just found out that I need to hit right on the pad to get to more places when zooming around. I wasted a great deal of time only zooming to the places on the first screen. Oh well live and learn.

Right now I'm at the part where I a need to get a harp.

[eldergamer]

I'm at the dark ruins part now. spending time trying to find metal slimes at the hidden sw isle and earning cash to buy/make the best weapons from the bazar.

[Backlash]

Zoom zoom away. So I just found out that I need to hit right on the pad to get to more places when zooming around. I wasted a great deal of time only zooming to the places on the first screen. Oh well live and learn.
.

I did that as well. They really should have put some obvious indicator on the screen to let you know there were more destinations. Or just presented the list differently.

[DrNo888]

LOL! I was so pissed I had that I could only zoom to certain places. Then I accidently hit the right button and saw the next page of the list.

[Allnatural]

I did that as well. They really should have put some obvious indicator on the screen to let you know there were more destinations. Or just presented the list differently.
Same here. Incidentally, it's a complaint I've read about this and other Level 5 designed games. Clunky, non-intuitive interfaces.

[DaddyBoJangles]

Im about 55 hours in, Just left the pirates cove after the captin crow fight, I can concur that this is by far the best ps2 rpg, and in my top 5 of all rpgs period. So how much longer do I have before I finish the game, ie not dragonvonian trials(ill do those after Lost Odyssey).

[camoor]

Im about 55 hours in, Just left the pirates cove after the captin crow fight, I can concur that this is by far the best ps2 rpg, and in my top 5 of all rpgs period. So how much longer do I have before I finish the game, ie not dragonvonian trials(ill do those after Lost Odyssey).

The section after this was a real snooze for me black-and-white versions of all the enemies - YAWN but there's a fantastic payoff at the end. And there are two pretty sweet boss fights.

[DaddyBoJangles]

The section after this was a real snooze for me black-and-white versions of all the enemies - YAWN but there's a fantastic payoff at the end. And there are two pretty sweet boss fights.

i just entered that area and fought Empreya(sp?) Now i have to go up on her eyrie and get her egg back from some monster. Im assuming I get the ability to fly soon?I dont get much to play thats why im not much farther than my previous post. I also screw off in the casinos a lot

I found the puff puff thing though and found it hilarious. The ending was gold.:-#

[camoor]

i just entered that area and fought Empreya(sp?) Now i have to go up on her eyrie and get her egg back from some monster. Im assuming I get the ability to fly soon?I dont get much to play thats why im not much farther than my previous post. I also screw off in the casinos a lot

I found the puff puff thing though and found it hilarious. The ending was gold.:-#

I hope you don't mind running alot. They make you work your way to the top.

Puff-puff was great - did anyone else use all four characters? I like the way each character had a different (yet fitting) reaction - it's that level of detail in a JRPG that keeps me coming back for more. I kinda wish I could see how Trode would have reacted :-P

[DaddyBoJangles]

I hope you don't mind running alot. They make you work your way to the top.

Puff-puff was great - did anyone else use all four characters? I like the way each character had a different (yet fitting) reaction - it's that level of detail in a JRPG that keeps me coming back for more. I kinda wish I could see how Trode would have reacted :-P

I dont mind the running but, i left the mountin to save do I just go back to the rock in the middle of the map to get back up to the eyrie?

I didnt know you could do the le puff puff with all 4 chars its on.

[Ski Hawk]

Im about 55 hours in, Just left the pirates cove after the captin crow fight, I can concur that this is by far the best ps2 rpg, and in my top 5 of all rpgs period. So how much longer do I have before I finish the game, ie not dragonvonian trials(ill do those after Lost Odyssey).
Dragon Quest VIII is the best game period I have ever played.

[camoor]

I dont mind the running but, i left the mountin to save do I just go back to the rock in the middle of the map to get back up to the eyrie?

I didnt know you could do the le puff puff with all 4 chars its on.

I don't know - I think you prolly have to though. I'll just leave the PS2 on if I have to go do something - it's too much of a pain in the rear to do a section again.

Prolly obvious - but to do the puff puff with other chars just rearrange them in your lineup menu.

[blueshinra]

Prolly obvious - but to do the puff puff with other chars just rearrange them in your lineup menu.Didn't know that! I really want to try that now :lol:

[laaj]

Is there some tips on getting more gold? My equipment is about 2-3 towns behind and having some trouble at the floating castle.

[blueshinra]

If I remember correctly, there's Gold Golems on Neos. They're one of the rarer monsters, but beating one will net you a lot of gold.

[DrNo888]

Anyone have any strategies for making weapons/armor/etc through alchemy?
Since some ingredients are rare and can make a few different items, some times I cant decide what I want to do with them. Guess I'll check out the FAQ's but was wondering if someone has preference of what to concentrate on.

[Backlash]

Anyone have any strategies for making weapons/armor/etc through alchemy?
Since some ingredients are rare and can make a few different items, some times I cant decide what I want to do with them. Guess I'll check out the FAQ's but was wondering if someone has preference of what to concentrate on.

The only thing I really remember is that if you can make a Timbrel of Tension, make it for sure. (I think it uses a unique ingredient that can go for more than one item).

[TahoeMax]

The Timbrel is the best item in the game, hands-down. The Sun Crown actually isn't unique...there are two of them, so you can make
two Timbrels for some serious pwnage.

Orichalcum is one of the other biggies. You need it for almost all the best armors, and once you've used up the ones you get in chests and as story items, it's VERY VERY hard to get any more since you need to get a rare drop from a metal king slime to get more. There are, however, a handful of goodies you can make quite early that will serve you well for most of the game. I definitely recommend concentrating on them. These include the Silver/Gold Tiaras, Phantom Mask, Gigant Armor, White Shields, Staff of Resurrection, Shamshir of Light (amazing sword that you can get before Orkutsk if you're lucky), and the Divine Bustier.

[laaj]

You don't really need to make any items. I just beat the game with weapons and armor that's 1-2 towns behind. You should shoot for armors since there are more weapons and shields you can buy later.

[DrNo888]

Timbrel of Tension - Why is this item the best in game? Can't anyone just use Psyche during their turn to raise tension? Or does this let one user raise another's tension?

[TahoeMax]

The Timbrel raises the tension of the ENTIRE party by one notch (including the user), and can be used an unlimited number of times. So essentially if your fastest character has it and the rest of the party alternates between psyching and attacking, 3 members can attack with 50 tension every other turn. That's pretty sick.

It takes forever to brew in the alchemy pot, but the game's a breeze once you get it.

[eldergamer]

I'm trying to get Angelo up to level 30 for the big dark ruins fight. So I'm playing around on the hidden isle with. Whistel, hope it's a metal slime, flee if it's not. Hope I kill it before it flees. Whistle again.

[TahoeMax]

Heh, that fight is soooooooooo much harder than anything before it and soooooooo much harder than most of the rest of the game. Kind of a bottleneck...otherwise you could pretty much zip through more or less to the end.

[DrNo888]

I just beat Dhoulmagus the other night. That was one long fight. Angelo ran out of MP so I had to heal with Hero.

What is this hidden isle someone just mentioned?

When I needed to level up, I just did Trodain. However, after defeating the first LMS after zoning in, the ones thereafter would just flee. Didnt try zoning back in or not. I did it two nights in a row so got to kill 2.

[eldergamer]

I just beat Dhoulmagus the other night. That was one long fight. Angelo ran out of MP so I had to heal with Hero.

What is this hidden isle someone just mentioned?

When I needed to level up, I just did Trodain. However, after defeating the first LMS after zoning in, the ones thereafter would just flee. Didnt try zoning back in or not. I did it two nights in a row so got to kill 2.

The hidden isle is in the far southwest corner of the map. Go due north from the dark isle and you'll run right into it. It doesn't show up on the map though.

It's populated by mimic, canniboxes, slimes, and liquid metal slimes.

[AshesofWake]

picked this up for 20 bucks at Fry's the other day, opened it up but haven't played at all, haha, gonna play it right after FF12 >_< can't wait.

[Ski Hawk]

picked this up for 20 bucks at Fry's the other day, opened it up but haven't played at all, haha, gonna play it right after FF12 >_< can't wait.

How can you delay the best game ever for FFXII?

[AshesofWake]

haha sorry, i just have WAY too many games i want to beat, i need to finish that before Dragon Quest!

[DarkYoda]

I should pull this out and play through it again... been renting RPGs on the 360 checking them out and... just not as good for the most part.

[eldergamer]

52 hours in, just heading north up to the herb grotto. Game's finally startng to feel a little exciting. Although the plot could definatley use more than just "chase the big bad to the next town"

[camoor]

Man o man these monsters before the Dragovian Lord don't let up. And leveling up has become a pain in the ass what with all the "Dark ____" showing up while I'm Liquid Slime hunting.

Howling Hill is about the best place for leveling up right? I tried that Dragon's Graveyard Level One method for about an hour but didn't have much luck at all.

Should I be having this much trouble at Level 47 getting to the D Lord, or should I just go for it.

[TahoeMax]

Are you going after him for the first time? You should probably be okay at 47, if I remember correctly. The enemies on the way to him are hella hard no matter what, so don't be surprised if you get beaten senseless once in awhile. If you're going for the Ultimate Dragon to fill up the bestiary you'll need another 20 levels or so. Time to grind the metal king slimes if that's the case (and yeah, whatever area is the slimes-only area is the best place. Sooooo many metal kings and liquid metals there). It'll take awhile. I think I was 68 when I beat him.

[sparklecopy]

anyone have a ps3 .psv save file with all items maxed in the beginning? this game is way too hard.

[darkcecil32]

I never used an faq and didn't fool around enough with alchemy to figure out how to create the timbrel of tension. I only died three times during the game (died twice on the dhoulmagus fight, once on the, uh, "flying boss" because I got careless) I played the game concurrently with a friend of mine who was always ~5 levels higher than me. I always tend to be under-leveled in rpgs (the first time I beat FF8, I was level 21 with my highest character when I got to disk 4). It's a mix of enjoying challenge and a hatred of level grinding, for me.

The main game is not that hard though. If you use some strategy and micro-manage wisely, it is not that hard to complete. The beginning *can be* a bit challenging, but it's nowhere near as bad as some of the hardest rpgs I've ever played. But the optional dungeon is a whole other story. I died a bunch in the optional dungeon after beating the game. I got to the 4th form of the optional boss ("steel" variation).
That fucker could kill two of my character in one attack before I even got around to my first turn. My party was around level 50 when I got there. My friend advised leveling up to 65 to get Hero's final special attack, and to create timbrels of tension, but I just said fuck that. A) I almost never ever use faqs for anything, I like the feeling of succeeding on my own. and B) Power Leveling makes me cry. Great, great, game though. DQ9 and FF4 remake are going to force me to get a DS.

[camoor]

Are you going after him for the first time? You should probably be okay at 47, if I remember correctly. The enemies on the way to him are hella hard no matter what, so don't be surprised if you get beaten senseless once in awhile. If you're going for the Ultimate Dragon to fill up the bestiary you'll need another 20 levels or so. Time to grind the metal king slimes if that's the case (and yeah, whatever area is the slimes-only area is the best place. Sooooo many metal kings and liquid metals there). It'll take awhile. I think I was 68 when I beat him.

First time. Thx - I'll give it a go when I get some time. Right now I'm just power leveling in short bursts.

[Vegan]

anyone have a ps3 .psv save file with all items maxed in the beginning? this game is way too hard.


It's not hard, it just takes a lot of time. A game is only hard when there's nothing you can do about it.

[blueshinra]

I always tend to be under-leveled in rpgs (the first time I beat FF8, I was level 21 with my highest character when I got to disk 4).Don't think that's really the best example. In FF8, the monsters' levels raise according to the characters'.

Just sayin' :razz:

[darkcecil32]

Yea i know, but It's pretty standard for me to be under-leveled in all rpgs. I thought that was only true of regular enemies, though. I thought the boss' stats/abilities were fixed (for FF8).

My roommate who thought the final "real" boss of FF10 was insanely easy on his game, tried 5 times to beat it with my characters/save file. He couldn't do it; couldn't even come close. It took me 3 tries, but I was able to beat him without doing any leveling. My friend loaded his save file and his characters were about 12 levels higher than mine.

It's just a quirk I have. I tend to blaze through with as few random battles as possible. I love hard boss fights, hate random battles. I hate the disruption of the flow of the game they cause and their alarming frequency. I'd rather have a gratuitous amount of cut-scenes and be "watching a movie", ala xenosaga, to extend the life of an rpg rather than fighting more and more tedious battles.

The old lunar games and chrono trigger and grandia are among my favorite rpgs because they allowed you to see the enemies on screen, even if sometimes avoiding a battle was still inevitable. But they did it the right way. There are other rpgs where you can see the enemies on screen, but many of those games still suck.

[pete5883]

Pretty far off-topic, but I thought Dragon Quest fans would appreciate these figures from IV:

http://image1.play-asia.com/170/5y/pa.107154.1.jpg

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-92-77-g-49-en-70-2aoi.html

20% off. Ordered 3 myself.

[eldergamer]

I just picked up the ultimate key, so now I have to go around and spend 1-2 hours game time going back to areas to collect chests I couldn't open before.

[blueshinra]

Yea i know, but It's pretty standard for me to be under-leveled in all rpgs. I thought that was only true of regular enemies, though. I thought the boss' stats/abilities were fixed (for FF8).

My roommate who thought the final "real" boss of FF10 was insanely easy on his game, tried 5 times to beat it with my characters/save file. He couldn't do it; couldn't even come close. It took me 3 tries, but I was able to beat him without doing any leveling. My friend loaded his save file and his characters were about 12 levels higher than mine.

It's just a quirk I have. I tend to blaze through with as few random battles as possible. I love hard boss fights, hate random battles. I hate the disruption of the flow of the game they cause and their alarming frequency. I'd rather have a gratuitous amount of cut-scenes and be "watching a movie", ala xenosaga, to extend the life of an rpg rather than fighting more and more tedious battles.

The old lunar games and chrono trigger and grandia are among my favorite rpgs because they allowed you to see the enemies on screen, even if sometimes avoiding a battle was still inevitable. But they did it the right way. There are other rpgs where you can see the enemies on screen, but many of those games still suck.Nope. In FF8, most of the bosses' HP changes according to the level of the characters. I think the only exception is Ifrit, which makes sense considering how early on he's fought.

I thought the final boss in FFX was cheap myself, not because of whatever level I was at, but due to the permanent Auto-Life. It did take me a little while to figure out the trick to beating him, though.

Also, I'm kind of the opposite. The 30-minute long cutscenes in Xenosaga were tedious and made me hate the game. The only time I've ever been annoyed by the frequency of random battles is Skies of Arcadia (both the DC and the GC versions), but it's still one of my favorite RPGs, as that's it's only major flaw. As long as the combat is interesting and offers a good amount of variety, I'm happy, whether the enemies are immediately visible or not. If not, that's where I try and rush through to the end. Makes the game tougher and there's less leveling involved, but that's just because I want to be done with it. The more I like a game, the longer I tend to want to play it.

Anyway, veering too offtopic here. Back to Dragon Quest VIII!

[camoor]

Doing the trials now, I'm up to the dreaded Darksteel Dragon.

I'm at level 55, and debating whether I should powerlevel for level 65 and dragon soul or just march up and try and kill the fucker.

Plus PuzzleQuest is really eating into my DQ8 time :lol:

[darkcecil32]

Doing the trials now, I'm up to the dreaded Darksteel Dragon.

I'm at level 55, and debating whether I should powerlevel for level 65 and dragon soul or just march up and try and kill the fucker.

Plus PuzzleQuest is really eating into my DQ8 time :lol:

That's right where i stopped playing. I said to hell with power leveling.

[TahoeMax]

Doing the trials now, I'm up to the dreaded Darksteel Dragon.

I'm at level 55, and debating whether I should powerlevel for level 65 and dragon soul or just march up and try and kill the fucker.

Plus PuzzleQuest is really eating into my DQ8 time :lol:

It's all about the Executioner skill for Darksteel. I actually had dragon soul for him, but he's doable with just those critical skills.

[dyeknom]

I remember playing this. I was like 48. I tend to under level on RPGs as well, but only because I'm impatient and want the story :). That Timbral of Tension was so awesome, but it ate some decent stuff.

Back in the day there was some kid who only leveled jess and the monsters and had everybody else at a retardedly low level... it was sorta interesting.

[camoor]

It's all about the Executioner skill for Darksteel. I actually had dragon soul for him, but he's doable with just those critical skills.

Yeah I finished the game completely Dragovian trials and all.

Playing some Xenosaga III today and realized two important things DQVIII was missing - intriguing story, cool battle animations, and mind-blowing cutscenes.

DQVIII was fun and all - I just don't think I'm going to revisit another DQ game because it's really not my style.

[eldergamer]

I just finished off captain crow and am off to find the god bird. the dungeons have stopped being to the point where I needed to go through them 2 or 3 times before I could successfully take on the boss. I'm ashamed to admit I thought 'Red' (yangus GF?) was hot.

[Moxio]

Why ashamed? She was smoking.

[mcelfour]

Can anyone help me in finding a manual for this game? I was supposed to get a complete copy from Goozex, but it is missing the manual. I can't find it anywhere online, either to get a print copy or a digital one.

Any help is appreciated.

[Backlash]

Can anyone help me in finding a manual for this game? I was supposed to get a complete copy from Goozex, but it is missing the manual. I can't find it anywhere online, either to get a print copy or a digital one.

Any help is appreciated.

I'm not surprised. The manual is huge and doesn't fit into a regular PS2 DVD game case. The game originally came in a cardboard box/sleeve that had the manual outside the game case. (I don't know where to find a replacement, though, sorry :( )

[Allnatural]

I'm not surprised. The manual is huge and doesn't fit into a regular PS2 DVD game case.
Fits just fine.

Well, maybe not, if you left the FFXII demo in there...but I don't know why anyone would do that.

[Backlash]

I just left mine the way it was originally packaged.

[2DMention]

I'm re-visiting this game again after playing through DQ IV on the DS.

I'm trying it another way by exploring the world map and all dungeons, casting spells when it's advantageous, and only fleeing from fights if I absolutely have to.

Makes the game much more fun.

I used to skip everything, didn't explore, zipped through dungeons, and grinded for cash for the best weapons. This is like playing it fresh all over again.

If you haven't played this game in awhile, try playing it this way. It's like playing it all over again for the first time.

[TahoeMax]

The last time I went through I did everything I could to get the best monster team i could early in the game, then won in the arena until I could do the call team skill REALLY early. From that point my summoned monsters helped me get through everything about 5 levels sooner than I could have otherwise.

[Allnatural]

The last time I went through I did everything I could to get the best monster team i could early in the game, then won in the arena until I could do the call team skill REALLY early. From that point my summoned monsters helped me get through everything about 5 levels sooner than I could have otherwise.
It was late in the game before I "discovered" that ability. At that point I didn't really need them. Still, it was fun calling out My Three Golems. :)

[TahoeMax]

Ya, I hardly used it at all the first couple times I went through the game. The most recent time I specifically decided to abuse it. :)

[camoor]

One of the most fun things was trying to catch that liquid slime running around the castle.

I was used to seeing stuff walking slow as mollasses I was like - WTF is moving at 100mph tearing around :lol:

I wish you could have seen all the monsters on the field, that would have been way more fun then random encounters.

[DrNo888]

God I really want to finish this game, but my son deleted my saves on my PS3. No way I am gonna try and make up that 50 hours. LOL

[camoor]

God I really want to finish this game, but my son deleted my saves on my PS3. No way I am gonna try and make up that 50 hours. LOL

Couldnt you download a save and pickup where you lost?

[Vegan]

I wish you could have seen all the monsters on the field, that would have been way more fun then random encounters.

Except that with the encounter rate being what it is, the overworld would look as crowded as Comic Con.